Busy busy. Got back late last night from a business trip and today I need to quickly repack my bags because tonight we are heading down to Munich for Oktoberfest. I barely remember when I had a chance to make this week’s French Fridays with Dorie recipe, but somehow it seems to have been been made.
This week’s recipe used ingredients which I have used together before, namely, Endives, Apples, and Grapes, and yet still introduced me to a new recipe because, instead of mixed the lot into a salad, Dorie has us sauteing everything together in a pan with butter
And not just any butter, but my very favorite kind which has sea salt added to it. In the US the default butter is salted and in Germany the default butter is unsalted. One can of course find regular salted butter here, but after attending a cooking course in Paris a few years ago and listening to our instructor rant throughout about the evils of salted butter (which is apparently infused with a brine solution which also serves as a preservative) I tend to stick with the unsalted stuff. The exception, however, is this absolutely delicious french aux cristaux de sel butter, which is not brined, but instead has whole salt crystals mixed in. If you look closely, you can actually see the crystals.
Dorie’s recipe calls for the endives, apples, and grapes to be sauteed in salted butter until browned and caramely. Probably not as browned as mine, I had some issues where mine wasn’t browning at all at first and I impatiently turned up the heat until it started to burn. Oops. We served this over leftover polenta and alongside roasted butterflied cornish hens. Delicious!
one expat's life 
YUM. Have fun at Oktoberfest! We’re going to one at the NATO base tonight. Not the same, but if I can get my hands on a giant pretzel, I’ll be happy. haha. Just yesterday, Matt and I decided we want to get to Munich for the Christmas market this year. Let me know if you’ve found some fabulous, centrally located, reasonably priced hotel/apt to rent. Your meal looks fantastic. Cornish hens or a roast chicken seems like the perfect pairing for this recipe.
Sounds like a fun weekend! Enjoy.
Chicken sounds like a great accompaniment. I ate mine straight up – somehow it ended up being too late at night to make friends for it 😦 Looks lovely!
Looks like a lovely dish! I ate this on its own but can see how it would be a perfect side dish.
Wow, this looks good! I love your idea of serving it over polenta with a roast chicken, perfection in a yummy way;-)
I never use salted butter especially when baking it can really mess up the salt count. Fantastic pairing this dish with the hen and polenta.
Delicious! Yours looks beautiful. I always use unsalted butter, too, though salted comes in handy for toast.
Looks beautiful, if it burned, I can’t see that at all! Your photos are wonderful. Perfect with chicken, we did that as well. Hope you have a great time at Oktoberfest!
Have a great time in Munich for Oktoberfest. I need to find me some of that French salted butter – sounds wonderful! Great idea to serve over polenta and agree the chicken paired perfectly.
Looks beautiful and delicious:) I must get some French Salted butter. I hope you have a great time in Munich.
Your dish looks delicious. I only got as far as buying the ingredients. Maybe I will get there! Not a huge fan of endive, but now, maybe I will be!!
I am kind of a butter fanatic. Here in Oklahoma USA it can be hard to find good butter. I use Kerrygold which is pretty good, salted and unsalted. I can’t wait to try this recipe again using endive. My grocery store was out so I followed the bonne idee and used squash and chestnuts. Delicious!
I never knew that about salted butter. Thanks for the information. I don’t buy it much, but now I’ll definitely search for the kind with actual salt crystals. Your whole dinner sounds excellent. Have so much fun at Oktoberfest!
How fantastic that you had butter with sea salt in it! Great post!
Have fun at Oktoberfest! Maybe I need to try this with the quail next time.
How very exciting, Octoberfest in Munich. Hubby and I visited that city awhile back and had so much fun in the beer halls. Happy people and good food. Enjoy…. Your recipe looks wonderful.
Ha! I’m actually doing this with roasted chicken tonight! Great minds! Glad you got this one done as it is a stunner!
I didn’t realize the default butter in the US was salted as I always buy unsalted. I love how many grapes you added. I wish I’d known how much I would love the grapes and I would have added more. Next time! Enjoy Oktoberfest, even though it’s still September 🙂
You were smart and added extra grapes! I used the amount called for and pictured in the recipe and really wished I had more. Your dish looks really great.
Okteberfest!!!! I am jealous! Have a great time! I am glad you liked this recipe. I loved the grapes and apples but the endives…not so much! 🙂
Rose, very lovely presentation of the caramelized endives, apples and grapes alongside cornish hen and polenta! Hopüe your hectic life will calm down a bit (after the trip to Munich).
Und viel Spaß beim Oktoberfest!
Lovely looking dish and presentation! I understand the hectic life…this has been a crazy month for me! Enjoy your Oktoberfest, Rose!
Yum – this looks delicious with the little chickens and polenta! Have you ever made your own butter? It’s ridiculously easy with a stand mixer. I learned how to do it last year and it still amazes me every time. You just pour heavy whipping cream into the mixer and use the paddle attachment (and the shield otherwise it splatters everywhere!) and beat it on high until it becomes butter. It’s crazy when this happens. It’s like one second it’s whipped cream, the next it’s butter! It even turns kind of yellow. Then you scoop out the butter leaving the liquid in the bowl and use some parchment to squeeze out the extra liquid and voila! you made butter. You can work any type of salt or herbs or whatever into the butter at this point and it tastes AMAZING. Plus it feels pretty good to say you made your own butter.
Oh, this looks so much better next to a roasted Cornish hen 🙂 And I LOVE European butter, too…would love to try the aux cristaux de sel butter!
Your dish looks great (not burnt at all!) and that hen and polenta look delicious!
Enjoy Oktoberfest!!!
OMG I’m so jealous! On our last trip to Paris, I tried to find some of the sea salt butter like you have to bring back with us to England and we totally didn’t find any! … Well, back to the search for that famous butter! 🙂 Looks like it went well with your dinner and the endives though! Great job!
PS… you should set up an email notification for your postings on here… some of us want to follow you via email! 🙂
Beautiful job! I love the look of your plate – everything looks delicious.